The Sulaimani Chamber of Commerce and Industry has informed Channel8 that 2,500 tons of plastic goods are used annually in the Kurdistan Region, including plastic travel tables, dishes, glasses, spoons and cans.

Aram Zahir, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, told Channel8 the Kurdistan Region’s annual consumption of plastic goods amounts to 2,500 tons, of which only 18 percent, 450 tons, is produced domestically, requiring the remainder to be imported.

Zahir said there are 15 factories producing nylon and buckets and 12 medium factories for grinding plastic. The Kurdistan Region currently lacks a large factory to invest in plastic and petrochemicals.

Plastic goods are imported from Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

An amount of just 5 percent of plastic remaining in any piece of soil makes the ground no longer useful for building homes or other structures over it. The composition of plastic also contains more than 20 types of harmful chemicals that enter the soil or ground water, causing contamination.

“Plastic is a serious problem because few of us are involved in this sector,” Zahir said. “The amount of plastic waste is increasing. Most recycling plants have dumped large amounts of plastic,” he added.